Signaling device.



IVI. S. PURPLE.

SI'GNIALING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 28. 1914.

Patented 001;. 24, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

WITNESSES M. S. PURPLE. s'lGNALlNG nEvfcE.

APPLcATloN FILED JAN. 28, 1914.

SHEET 2.

2 SHEETS 4 2 t. C 0 m .U mm m D1 In: Noms psu-s co.. Hom Uma wAsmNw i s 1 i MAYO S. PURPLE, 0F EAST HAMPTON, CONN ECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO BEVIN BROTHERS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF EAST HAMPTON, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION 0F CONNECTICUT.

SIGNALING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 2st, 1916.

Appli-cation filed January 28, 1914. Serial No. 814,906.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, MAYO S. PURPLE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of East Hampton, in the county of Middlesex and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signaling Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description, whereby any one skilled in the art may make and use the same.

rIhe inventio-n relates to signaling apparatus or signaling devices, alarms or horns employing a mechanically agitated diaphragm for producing the desired vibrations for producing the sound.

It relates more particularly to such well known types of signaling devices as are ordinarily employed for motor vehicles and may be used either for automobiles, launches, boats, fog signals or for any purpose wherein a signal or alarm device is desirable.

It relates more specifically to that class of devices, which have come into use, in which a diaphragm? is bodily moved and vibrated with high velocity and at an amplitude to produce sounds of great intensity and carrying power, and has for its object to'provide for adjusting the means thatl actuate the sounding diaphragm so that the amplitude and quality of the sound that is produced by the vibrations thereo-f may be varied at will.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the signaling device. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the device showing the adjusting screws. Fig. 3 is a sectional view with parts broken away to illustrate the various parts. Fig. 4 is a front face view of the inclosing casing and contained parts'with the diaphragm removed.

Fig. 5 is a view of the supporting frameA with the front plate remo-ved. Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the supporting plates and appurtenant mechanism on an enlarged scale as compared with Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a detail view illustrating the method of attachment of the actuating spindle and segmental gear. Fig. 8 is ay detail view in elevation of the main driving gear, ratchetand pawl.

A suitable casing incloses the entire mech-l anism and the mechanism is made adjustable from the exterior of the casing. In the drawings the numeral 1 denotes a horn or resonator which terminates in a iiange 2 to which7 as illustrated herein, is secured a cylindrical casing 3 which is provided with a flange il. The flanges 2 and 4 clamp between them a diaphragm 5 which preferably rests against an annular gasket 6. Centrally arranged upon the diaphragm there is a projecting part T which serves as a hammer Or anvil and is adapted to be engaged by a cam 8.

A suitable bracket not illustrated is, of course, provided for securing the device in any desired position, and it is apparent that the form of the casing and the form of the horn or resonator may be varied to suit various tastes in design. IVith 'a cylindrical form of casing 3 as illustrated, the entire mechanism may be adjusted as a unit within said casing and with reference to the diaphragm: 5 clamped at the forward end thereof. The supporting frame for the mechanism, in the form of device shown, comprises front and rear plates of disk form 9, 10 which are spaced and rigidly held with reference to each other by membersl 11 'suitably disposed between the plates. The forward plate 9, as illustrated, has rearwardly protruding projections 12 which are screwthreaded to be engaged by locking screws 13 which pass through slots 14e in the cylindrical casing.

Centrally arranged in the rear plate l0 is a threaded opening which is engaged by an adjusting screw-15 which, as illustrated, is held against longitudinal movement with reference to the casing 3 by a collar 16 having an annular shoulder 17 located within the casing and a collar 1S arranged eXteriorly of the casing. As the screw 15 is threaded into a boss upon the rear plate 10, it is' apparent that the' supporting frame comprising the plates 9 and 10 together with the mechanism supported therein may be adjusted toward and away from the diaphragm 5 and this framework may be locked in any adjusted position by the screws 13. This adjusting device 15 provides for a general adjustment of the mechanism, which includes the cam 8, with reference to the diaphragm 5 and particularly with reference to the anvil or striking point or hammer 7 which is engaged by the surface ofthe cam.

Suitably mounted in the frame-plates 9 and 10, there is a main shaft 19 which has loosely mounted thereon a main driving gear 20 which bears a spring-pressed pawl 21. This pawlis in engagement with a ratchet Y wheel 22 which is fast with reference to a pinion 23 while both the ratchet 22 and pinion 23 are free with reference to the gear 2O except as they are clutched together by the pawl 21. I

The main gear 20 meshes with a pinion 211 which is fast upon the cam shaft 25. This cam shaft bears at its forward end a disk cam 26 and also bears a fly-wheel member 27 adapted to overcome the inertia of the parts and maintain the cam shaft in rapid rotation during the periodic application of power through the gear 20.

. The cam 26 is so related to the member 7 of the diaphragm that its cam surfaces will act to move the diaphragm out of its normal position and permit it to spring backward, thus inducing a rapidity of movement of J the diaphragm depending upon the speed of the cam disk 26 and its cam surfaces.

Mounted in the rear plate 10 there isa tubular nipple 28 into the outer end of which is threaded an adjusting screw 29 provided with a lock nut 30. This nipple 28 serves as a bearing for one end of the cam shaft 25 and as the screw 29 is arranged coincident with the axis of the shaft, said shaft with its cam may thus be adjusted axially. This adjusting device provides for a fine adjustment of the cam disk 26 with reference to the diaphragm and the member 7 It is obvious that the nipple 28 projects through the rear end of the casing 3 as illustrated in Fig. 2 andit is apparent that this adjusting device in combination with the adjusting screw 15 provides` for an initial or coarse adjustment of the whole mechanism with reference to the diaphragm and a line adjustment of the cam shaft and cam with reference thereto. Both adjustments are effected from the exterior of the casing.

The advantages of the adjustments described are at once apparent. 'The cam 8 1nust, of course, be adjusted with delicacy and precision with reference to the diaphragm 5 in order to secure the exact degree of movement to be impressed upon the diaphragm. While the adjusting devicel for moving the entire frame-work is suilicient for initial adjustment, the tuning or delicate adjustment of the device is effected through the adjusting screw 29 bearing upon the end of the cam shaft 25.

' VIt is obvious that with the fly-wheel 27 upon the shaft 25 and with a comparatively high gear between the main shaft 19 and the cam shaft, a high speed movement may be maintained upon the cam shaft during the 32 which extends throughthe plate 10, said stud and segmental gear being capable of an oscillatory movement on a spindle 33 which extends between the plates and is provided with a bushing 34 and washer 35 for holding the segmental gear and appurtenant parts in position.

The stud 32 which extends through the rear end of the casing 3 may have secured to it an actuating lever 36. Through this lever 36, the segmental gear 31 may be oscillated and, of course, it is apparent that this oscillatory movement will produce a rapid rotation of the pinion 23, ratchet 22 and the gear 20 in one direction, though the pinion 23 and ratchet 22 are free to permit free osoillation of the lever in the opposite direction.

As illustrated, the spindle 33 is conveniently arranged between two of the frame supports 11 which act as stops for limiting the movement of the lever and segmental gear. The segmental gear and lever are normally held in one position by a suitable spring. While a simple form of spring is illustrated herein as at 37, it is apparent that any suitable device may be used in the system for returning the oscillatory member. In fact, any desired mechanism may be employed for imparting a rapid rotation to the pinion 23 in one direction so long as the movement and power is applied to the gear 20 for driving the pinion 24 and cam shaft at high speed and permitting it through a clutch device such as a ratchet, to rotate freely without reference to the position of the actuating mechanism which moves the pinion 23.

Obviously, the projecting stud 32 may be actuated in any desired mamier either by a drum, wheel, crank-handle or lever and these devices may be suitably connected and operated by a cord or other device within reach of the hand or foot of the operator.

It is to be understood that the various details of construction may be modified to a great extent without departing from the spirit or intent of the invention and that the casing may be made in various forms and designs so long as it provides a support for the mechanism and said mechanism is made bodily adjustable within the casing and is provided with means for individual adjustment of the cam shaft.

As illustrated, with a cylindrical casing and with the disk-like plates, it is apparent that a casing of comparatively thin material may be used as the plates will form an immediate support for the casing to prevent crushing even under extremely hard usage.

That I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a signaling device embodying a vibratory diaphragm and a cam for actuating the diaphragm, an inclosing casing, actuating means for rotating the cam, including a shaft upon which the cam is supported, a frame in which the said actuating` means are supported mounted within the casing and bodily movable toward and away from the diaphragm, an adjusting screw 'for moving the frame relative to the diaphragm, another adjusting screw for moving the cam shaft relative to the frame in which it is supported, by which the line adjustment of the cam is effected, the said adjusting screws being accessible from the outside through the same casingwall and located in close proximity toeach other.

2. In a signaling device embodying a vibratory diaphragm and a cam for actuating it, a casing, actuating-means for rotating the cam, including a shaft on which the cam is mounted, a frame in which the said means are supported arranged within the casing and movable therein either toward or away from the diaphragm, an adjusting screw for moving the frame, another adjusting screw for moving the cam shaft in the frame, the said screws being parallel, in proximity to each other and both accessible from the outside of the casing, and arranged to respectively efect the coarse and the line adjustment of the cam relative to the diaphragm.

MAYO S. PURPLE.

Witnesses:

AUGUSTA H. VoLrE, CLARA E. DioKsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patente, Washington, D. C. 

